Incompatible Couples
Lockdown & Liquor Leading to Strained Relationships for Almost Half of Couples, Reveals Survey.Â
- 45% of couples say working together from home has put a strain on their relationship.
- 1 in 4 couples admit they argue with their partner after drinking alcohol.
- Interactive Map shows where couples argue after drinking alcohol across the U.S.
With social distancing now firmly in place and many households in the U.S. on lockdown, many couples are in closer quarters more than ever before. With greatly diminished socialization outside of the home, partners and cohabitees may be forced to come to the reality that certain aspects of their lives are, in fact, incompatible, such as working together and their drinking habits.
Alcohol.org, a leading provider of treatment resources and everything related to alcohol abuse and rehabilitation, conducted a survey of 3,000 couples, which found that many are clashing during lockdown. It was revealed that 45% of couples throughout the country say working from home every day has put a strain on their relationship.
Nearly one-quarter of couples (24%) polled admit they often argue with their partner when one or both have been drinking alcohol. This strongly suggests that alcohol only exacerbates the issue, which could be because one-fifth (20%) of respondents say they are more honest with one another when drunk. Perhaps this is where underlying issues are brought to the surface, which can be problematic if you are living in isolation with your partner with no other outlet to express your emotions.
See the following interactive map to view these results by location across the U.S.
Excessive drinking can be a deal-breaker, with 15% of respondents stating they have had a relationship end because of problem drinking from either side. At the same time, however, nearly 1 in 10 (8%) say alcohol is an important part of their relationship, and if they both went sober, 33% of people say their relationship would suffer.
Nearly one-fifth (16%) of respondents say they have been in a situation where they had to ask their partner to cut down on their drinking; it’s possible that this figure would rise during an extended quarantine period.
The survey also revealed that over three-quarters (77%) say they would definitely consider ending a relationship if their partner started to drink excessively.
There is a clear correlation between alcohol consumption and dysfunctional relationships. This could be due to the fact that alcohol can bring certain underlying issues to the forefront of a drunken argument. This can be especially problematic during lockdown as there are no outlets to express your frustration as usual, except by speaking to your partner.